Best Climbing Tree Stand vs Hang On & Ladder Stands for Deer Hunting

One of the most important tools for a bow hunter is climbing equipment. The most common climbing equipment is the climbers and the hang-on stands. Most deer hunters have to make a choice between the two. This may prove to be challenging. With this in mind, several factors can be looked into when determining which of the two to use. Regardless, the choice comes down to two main factors. These are the style of hunting and the hunting area.

The Hunting Style

For hunters who make a habit out of hunting in the same general area annually or even out of the very same trees year in year out, hang-on stands are the go-to climbing equipment. The reason being that they can be set up in strategic go-to places hence when its hunting season, all a hunter has to do is check on the state of the tree stamps and ensure that the lane of shooting is in good shape as well. To use such equipment, the hunter has to be quite a pro at the hang-on style of hunting as this apparatus calls for a lot of hanging on trees specifically.

Hunters who constantly change location might also need such equipment. Hang-on stands are easy to carry around and easy to set up as well. That way, they can be moved around. However, the most suitable choice for such hunters is the climber. Climbers are friendlier to mobility as opposed to hang-on stands which have to be set up on trees.

Hunters who do not have a specific system. This may include those who prefer to switch things up every once in a while. Having both hang-on stands and climbers is advisable. For these hunters, when it comes to the use of hang-on stands, they require technique and have the burden of having to take them down after every hunting episode. Therefore, as much as having the two may be wise, a climber seems to be much more efficient.

The Hunting Area

This usually entails all factors like the types of trees in the area which the hunter is planning to hunt in. For obvious reasons, to use climbing stands or climbers, the hunter will need to climb on to trees that are as straight as can be. In cases where finding such trees is a challenge, hang-on stands are more suitable since they can literally be used on any kind of trees, straight or not.

In cases where the area does not have a lot of thick trees with cover to hang on, climbers are more appropriate. Hunting grounds with timber are more suitable for the use of climbing sticks or climbers as they are often limbless and are quite straight. The other reason as to why climbers are most suitable for timber is that with hang-on stands, the hunter has to find branches to cut down to make room for the stands and the hunter can only go as high as the branches can accommodate as the higher you go, the more the branches.